The Nation - News from July 7, 1989

Senior officials said President Bush has approved a pay proposal for federal employees that would include increases from 25% to more than 200% for a small number of “critically skilled” workers, and a raise of about 25% for most of the Senior Executive Service, the Washington Post reported. Three senior officials said the White House plans to announce the package today, but one official said the President still could change his mind on details that might delay the announcement. On the related issue of congressional pay and honorariums, several officials said the President is examining various proposals but that he plans in any announcement today to stay with his formulation that honorariums should be banned, perhaps over three years or more, and that Congress should decide how much its pay should increase.